British Railways (Scottish Region)

About

The Scottish Region (ScR) of British Railways was a territorial Region from 1 January 1948 until 1992. It consolidated the entire Scottish railway system, inheriting the LMS Scottish Area (the former Caledonian, Glasgow & South Western and Highland railways) and the LNER Scottish Area (the North British and Great North of Scotland railways).

The Region inherited an extensive network including the East Coast and West Coast routes north of the border, the Highland Main Line to Inverness, and the Far North and West Highland lines. Major Region projects included the Glasgow North Clyde 25 kV ac electrification of 1960 (with its distinctive 'Blue Train' Class 303 units), the Argyle Line, and the Glasgow-Edinburgh push-pull service.

The Region maintained a notably diverse fleet, including unique types built for Scottish conditions such as the Class 26 and Class 27 BRCW diesels for West Highland and Edinburgh-Glasgow services. After 1992 the Region's functions were sectorised into Regional Railways, ScotRail and InterCity.

Locomotives owned

British Rail Class 29 — BR Class 29 — Bo-Bo diesel-electric, rebuilds of Class 21 with new Paxman engines. 20 rebuilt 1965–67. None preserved.
British Rail Class 311 — BR Class 311 — three-car AC EMU built 1966–67 for Glasgow suburban services. 19 sets. Withdrawn 1989–94. None preserved.
British Rail Class 314 — BR Class 314 — three-car AC EMU for Glasgow suburban services, built 1979 by BR York. 16 sets. Withdrawn 2018–19. None preserved.
British Rail Class 318 — BR Class 318 — three-car AC EMU built 1985–86 by BREL York for Strathclyde PTE services. 21 sets. Many still in ScotRail service in 2026.
British Rail Class 318/1 — Subclass of Class 318 — see that entry.
British Rail Class 318/2 — Subclass of Class 318 — see that entry.
British Rail Class 318/3 — Subclass of Class 318 — see that entry.
British Rail Class 320 — BR Class 320 — three-car AC EMU built 1990 by BREL York for Strathclyde PTE. 22 sets. All still in ScotRail service in 2026.

Founded	1 January 1948
Dissolved	6 April 1992
Country	Scotland
Headquarters	Glasgow